


There's Amber Among Us

by TheWorkoftheHeart



Category: Among Us (Video Game), One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Amber Lead Syndrome, Death, Gen, Heavy Angst, Imposter Trafalgar Law, Light Comfort, Parasites, Polus (Among Us), Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27233758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWorkoftheHeart/pseuds/TheWorkoftheHeart
Summary: Law was pale. Incredibly, incredibly pale. It was something he knew all too well.or,an Among Us!AU in which the Imposter parasite manifests itself in Law as an Amber Lead Syndrome mimic.
Relationships: Franky & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Kudos: 17





	There's Amber Among Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the OP Among Us kinnies](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the+OP+Among+Us+kinnies).



Polus was cold in the same way that Minion Island was cold; a storming flurry of frozen white crystals that would make anyone’s face flush under its assaults. Law saw it on Pudding, the way she buried her face in the plush warmth of her gloves as if cradling her cheeks; he saw it on Franky, the remaining skin a cold-warm pink that danced up his arms and face; he saw it on Usopp, how he’d hide his face in the fleece lining of his overcoat and allow it to smother him whole.

Law was pale. Incredibly, incredibly pale. It was something he knew all too well.

The snow-white patches that painted his skin made him more nervous that anything he could believe, and the _pain_ , don’t get him started on the pain. His vision would go blank and he’d stumble, only to cry out into the arm of his coat. _Don’t let anyone know. They’ll run from you, screaming, like people always have._

It’s easier for them to run from a killer than from the dying, isn’t it? 

The adrenaline was numbing. It helped keep the throbbing agony at bay long enough for him to make it into the medical ward and try again, keep scanning himself, try again. He’d done it over and over, and even after his fellow imposter had been expelled from the circumstances, he just kept killing. He felt as though there was no other option. He’d see someone, feel their energy in his own blood, and, blinded by the knowledge that killing them would ease his pain, Law refused to hesitate. He felt thirteen all over again: only craving destruction, to kill before _he’ll_ be killed. 

The sound of an emergency meeting report filed out across Polus. They’d caught him, he was sure of it. They were onto him when Sanji was murdered and this time, Law knew, he wouldn’t be able to get away freely.

When he entered the office, it felt like all eyes were on him. He held onto the wooden table for balance, though he tried to disguise it as a nonchalant leaning.

Franky cleared his throat, turning his body towards Law sternly, but worriedly. “Do you guys remember how I noticed something off when Sanji was murdered?”

Pudding nodding, averting her eyes in Law’s direction; he was her sworn ally. She knew where this was going. “I do.”

“I do, too,” Usopp responded, wiping at wet eyes. 

Franky nodded, and didn’t look away from Law, not once. “I remember what it is now,” he continued, though his tone was wary. He was walking on eggshells; any wrong move could lead to devastation, to an outburst, to another senseless murder. “Law, are you feeling okay? You look pale.”

 _You look pale._ Despite the warmth of the office, Law’s blood ran cold; why couldn’t they take him for a murderer? Why did he have to leave as a monster, too?

“I’m just cold,” came his reply, biting and sharp, a hurting dog snapping at onlookers. “It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not the cold,” Franky pushed on. “Your patches are like... snow white.”

“It’s just _cold_ , I’m just cold. Drop it.”

The threat of tears burned Law’s nose as everyone’s full attention fell to him. He could feel them gawking, staring, judging-- how long until they figured out? All the signs pointed to Amber Lead, didn’t they? They’d call his bluff in an instant. Just like everyone else who was supposed to care about him, they’d scream, they’d toss him into the lava and exterminate him in heat just like the rest of Flevance, just like how Law was supposed to die sixteen years ago.

Usopp leaned forward, moving more into Law’s view. “Torao… you killed Sanji, didn’t you..?”

Instead of trying to save face, Law broke. A tear finally slid from his eyes and bounced onto the table, almost audible in the pin-drop silence.

“It just hurts.”

Somehow, the tone of the room shifted; instead of confusion, there was concern, palpable in Franky’s motions as he took one tentative step forward. 

“Law?”

“I’m sorry,” Law stuttered out, his shoulders curling in on himself. He didn’t want to cry, he didn’t want to cry, he wasn’t going to cry, so why was he--

Usopp moved to vote, hand levitating over the button on Law’s end of the table. Franky’s eyes went wide.

“Hey, hey, hold on a minute. Don’t you fucking dare.”

Usopp froze, reeled his hand back, paused. Franky watched him for each second, ensuring no one would attempt to make movements towards an inevitable demise. They all knew it was coming, but for once, maybe they could find out why.

“Law?” Pudding asked, making to move towards him; again, Franky stopped her, holding a hand out to keep her away. Law was shuddering, crying silently at the center point of the table, and he was _vulnerable_.

“It just hurts so bad,” he tried to explain, finally trying to put words to how his body felt. No words could ever encompass the pain of Amber Lead, even in a grown body such as this; Law wasn’t even sure a pain such as this existed. A pain surpassing the point of numbness where it’s all you can even feel. “It hurts, I had to kill them, I had to. It... it was the only thing that stopped it. Please, it hurts, I--”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Pudding interrupted, frantically trying to stop his tangent. Law was the strong one. He never broke down. He’d shout, he’d get angry, he’d lock his feelings off for as long as he needed to, but here he was, _crying_. She didn’t know how to help it, so she tried reassurances to stop it. “It’s okay, Law. You’re gonna be okay.”

“No, we’re not going to be okay,” Usopp piped up. He gestured towards Law with a harshness in his motions. “He’s not in control of himself. If we don’t vote him out of here, someone else is going to fucking die!”

“No one is going to die,” Pudding argued. “He’s in pain.”

“He’s _out of control_. If he snaps again, we’re all going to be killed off one by one! And then what? You’re just going to excuse it? You’re going to let him just--”

“Shut up!” Franky interrupted, stopping Usopp dead in his tracks. Usopp’s hand still hovered, and he snapped it down on the button by Law’s end of the table before bringing it back.

“Everyone be quiet,” Franky asked again, softer now. He looked back towards Law, filled with some sort of feeling he couldn’t properly explain. A feeling he couldn’t explain, but one he could show. “Law, c’mere.”

He didn’t give him the chance to move before closing the space between them and pulling Law into his arms, bundling his jacket around Law’s front. Law buried his face into the coat and wept silently, clinging to Franky as though somehow the embrace would save him. Pudding and Usopp watched them, not sure how to react.

They gave them a few moments. Law had become content with crying, and allowed his walls to further crumble as he leaned against Franky’s chest, his body occasionally freezing as though he’d gone completely numb. Franky just kept him close, trying to keep their hug as sturdy as possible.

Usopp watched them especially. He knew that hug well; one shared between two broken people ages ago in a city filled with winding canals and bloodied memories. A hug that signified the end of pain, the end of loneliness. A hug that was warm.

“Am I warm?” Franky asked, and Law gave an affirmative hum in return. 

Pudding shuffled on her feet, pressing her own vote button. She wasn’t going to dare to vote away Law in this state. He was still in there. He was still Law. They could still help him.

Law took a deep breath, finally out of tears, leaving him only with a glazed-over look in his eyes. “I... I want to see Cora-san.”

Usopp winced as his own chest dropped. He’d been there in Dressrosa, he’d seen Law fighting, he knew enough about Corazon to know that the man had been dead almost longer than Pudding had been alive. 

The surgeon of death had embraced his fate. He just needed someone else to do it, too.

Pudding stepped forward. “Law, _no_. You’re not going to die.” Her voice cracked a little and she begged the others would ignore it, finding comfort when they did. “We can fix this. There’s still time. We can still fix this.”

Law didn’t seem to be listening. “Please. I’ve killed people. I can hardly even move. Just vote me off, please. I want to see Cora-san.”

Franky took the hat off of Law’s head, running fingers through his hair. He was sweating, but he wasn’t burning with a fever. It dawned on him that it must’ve been the fucking parasite behind this, bringing forth all this pain in hopes that Law would crack under pressure and do its bidding. Instead, it’d brought forth decades worth of hurting and a long-held death wish.

“It’ll be over soon, Law,” Franky whispered, trying to ease his pain as much as he could. “It’s okay. You’ll be okay soon.”

“Law, Cora didn’t die for this,” Pudding piped up again. “He didn’t die so you could go ahead and die, too. You fixed this before, right? You can fix it again! We can help you!”

“We can’t help this,” Usopp answered, and deep down Pudding knew it was the truth. “We just need to make a decision.”

Law adjusted out of Franky’s hold, stumbling forward to his panel at the table. Franky took a few steps back to his.

The time ticked down on the timer in the center of the table. Ten seconds, nine, eight.

“I just... I want to see Cora-san again,” Law whispered, closing his eyes. Five, four, three.

He pressed his own button.

One.

The panel underneath him slid open, and Law fell, heat swallowing him whole. For once, he didn’t feel pain.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank Leaddy, Randal, Raz, Sakana, Nils, and Sam for letting this plot happen. It was emotionally devastating, but so fucking rewarding. Your contributions to the scene are truly what made this what it was. Thank you so fucking much, I love you guys with all my heart.


End file.
